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Tag Archives | Titanium

If you believe the claims that Intense Automotive Design is making, then what you see here is the fastest production car… ever.

Based on a Mosler MT900 GTR XX, the twin-turbo monster, nicknamed the Land Shark, claims to be making 2,500hp at a red line of 10,000 rpm on its way to a top speed of 305 mph! (And apparently, with 118 octane racing fuel and IAD aerodynamic modifications, you can increase that speed to a freakishly fast 375+ mph. Apparently.)

To put that in perspective, by the time a quick car makes it to 60 mph (around 6.7 seconds) the IAD Mosler will already be going 150 mph, and 2.3 seconds later, it’ll have done a quarter mile at 178 mph in just 9.0 seconds. Plus, if you just want to see how fast you can get to 150, the IAD Mosler will go from a standing start to 150 mph and back to zero again in just 8.7 seconds.

To get there, modifications include a four fuel system, a custom all wheel drive system made of titanium and carbon fiber, and all-titanium suspension system, aerodynamic modifications including a front splitter and a fully adjustable rear wing, and carbon fiber wheels with magnesium centers that are attached to the car with titanium lug nuts.

Since the car will remain a mystery until actual numbers get checked and verified, we’ll just have to take IAD’s word for it, but they do plan to show off what it’s capable off during the 2009 Bonneville Speed Week, and then send it over to the Nurburgring for a few hot laps in the hands of Michael Schumacher, so I just hope it lives up to expectations.

Anyone can dress up their Lamborghini with a new set of wheels or a fancy spoiler, but it takes a special kind of tuner to take apart the raging bull and piece it back together as a carbon fiber interpretation of its former self. Thus, the Prindiville Prestige Lamborghini Murcielago is no ordinary supercar.

When compared to a standard (hah!) Lamborghini, the Prindiville variation only retains the front compartment lid, as everything (and I do mean everything) else has been changed, right down to the roof panel.

There’s a bolder, more assertive front valance, eye-catching sills, a more dynamic rear valance through which exits a specially designed titanium sports exhaust system, ‘handle-less’ doors with remote electric opening, and a restyled engine bay cover with transparent cooling louvres.

Plus, as if that wasn’t enough, all of the exterior bits and pieces have been made of carbon fiber for that rare and racy look and feel.

Inside, rich leather and hand-finished aluminum accents treat the driver to all the luxury that a supercar owner could want or need, and ‘little touches’ like specially engineered aluminum air vents remind the driver that they’re not in an average Lamborghini.

Dream car status doesn’t come cheap, as the Prindiville Murcielago reportedly sold for more than a million dollars, but if you’re in the mood for a custom creation that won’t be matched by anything on the road, then give them a call and see what they can do, because apparently, the sky’s the limit.

The Ducati 999S is already a rare breed, but if you want to take the rarity of your bike to the limit, then give BeFaster a call and tell them you want the full treatment.

What you’ll end up with is the carbon fiber and titanium beauty you see before you. Weighing in at just 143 kg (315 lbs), the entire body, frame, and even the wheels have been replaced with carbon fiber versions of their former selves, and anything that couldn’t be carbon-ized has been made of titanium.

In addition to the reduction of weight, the bike’s power has also been given a bump, and now sits at 170 hp, giving the bike a 0-100 km time of less than 3 seconds, a 0-200 km time of less than 7 seconds, and a top speed in excess of 300 km/h.

All this power and lightness doesn’t come cheap however, as you’ll need to be willing to fork over $165,000 for the privilege, but if you’re looking for the ultimate motorcycle experience, then look no further than the BeFaster Ducati 999S.

The Cabestan Winch Vertical Tourbillon is like no other watch in the world.

Time is told on two rotating drums (one for hours and one for minutes) that are made of engraved aluminum and set on ball bearings, and each drum is equipped with a resistance spring the enables you to disconnect it for time setting, as well as a small winch that is stored in the folding buckle of the bracelet that allows you to wind the watch.

However, what’s truly amazing is that this watch holds power through a chain drive that consists of 450 small links made of inoxidizable steel and riveted by hand. The chain is good for 72 hours of power reserve, and is wound around the watch in a way that follows the natural energy of the spring within.

The titanium case is made of seven components that are vacuum welded together with hydrogen in a conveyor oven, and Pyrex crystals that are thermoformed by hand cover all the bits and pieces underneath.

All this tech doesn’t come cheap however, as you’ll be paying anywhere between $275,000 and $400,000 for the privilege depending on how much bling you want, but when tech and exclusivity get together with beauty like this, money can quickly become no object for those with the means.

Even if your watch contains parts of the Titanic, there’s now way it’s as cool as the Romain Jerome Moon Dust-DNA.

With a lunar inspired dial featuring real Moon dust, a steel and titanium case that incorporates steel from the Apollo XI space shuttle, rusted steel paws that include fragments form the Soyuz spacecraft, and a strap composed of fibres form a spacesuit worn during the International Space Station mission, the Moon Dust-DNA is about as cool as they come.

History doesn’t come cheap, as the watch line will range from $15,000 to more than $500,000, but it’s hard to put a price on exclusivity like this.